Glass Wings Blog: April 2017

The Story Behind That ‘Future That Liberals Want’ Photo

Sat, 1 Apr 2017 12:36:44 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

"When two groups use the same image to prove their critiques of the
other, it fosters prejudice, rather than conversation. Themer would
rather the image prompt a dialogue across the political chasm and get

Data breach disclosure 101: How to succeed after you've failed

Sat, 1 Apr 2017 12:42:46 +1100

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

"I've seen enough to recognise both good and bad patterns and I'm hoping
that by highlighting them here we can learn from the precedents that
have been set. Ideally, this will serve as a checkpoint for those who

Sun, 2 Apr 2017 15:17:55 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

"It is normal to feel aghast at and disgusted by the Republican Party’s
war on the poor. The more challenging and perhaps even more disturbing
task is to ask why today’s conservatives feel such antipathy, disregard

Please Stop Saying 108 to Siri

Sun, 2 Apr 2017 15:21:49 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

"Law enforcement agencies are urging users not to fall for the viral
prank. Turns out, 108 is India's equivalent to 9-1-1. If you say that
number to Siri, the voice-controlled personal assistant will think

Sesame Street has been trolling Trump for three decades

Mon, 3 Apr 2017 16:20:46 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

"Trump's distaste for publicly-funded children's programming may or may
not be connected to Sesame Street's character Ronald Grump, a grouch who
finagles Oscar into relocating from his trash can to Grump Tower."

BBC releases 'Curse of the Fatal Death,' Steven Moffat's first Doctor Who episode from 1999

Wed, 5 Apr 2017 02:08:48 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

"Red Nose Day is a UK charity spearheaded by comedians and has raised
over £1 billion to fight poverty and injustice. To give back to its
funders, Red Nose Day has released a special Doctor Who episode made for

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

"Given that this kind of thing has been happening all around the world
for years, you really have to wonder why these organizations are still
allowed to put themselves forward as the legitimate representatives of

The World's Rarest and Most Ancient Dog Has Just Been Re-Discovered in the Wild

Wed, 5 Apr 2017 22:40:02 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

"After decades of fearing that the New Guinea highland wild dog had gone
extinct in its native habitat, researchers have finally confirmed the
existence of a healthy, viable population, hidden in one of the most

Cats found to like humans more than thought

Wed, 5 Apr 2017 22:43:33 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

"A trio of researchers with Oregon State University and Monmouth
University has conducted experiments with cats, and has found that they
appear to like humans more than expected. In their paper published in

UW professor: The information war is real, and we’re losing it

Thu, 6 Apr 2017 20:36:23 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

"A University of Washington professor started studying social networks
to help people respond to disasters. But she got dragged down a rabbit
hole of twitter-boosted conspiracy theories, and ended up mapping our

Why I Always Tug on the ATM

Fri, 7 Apr 2017 14:10:40 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

"Once you understand how easy and common it is for thieves to attach
“skimming” devices to ATMs and other machines that accept debit and
credit cards, it’s difficult not to closely inspect and even tug on the

Doodle 4 Google 2017 - US Winner

Fri, 7 Apr 2017 14:13:48 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

'Sarah says, “My future is a world where we can all learn to love each
other despite our religion, gender, race, ethnicity, or sexuality. I
dream of a future where everyone is safe and accepted wherever they go,

Wanna Have Breakfast with 7 Doctors Who?

Sat, 8 Apr 2017 16:20:49 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

"For the lucky winner and their companion, they’ll head to London and
have some crumpets and scones and whatever with no fewer (and also no
more) than seven of the nine living actors who’ve played Doctor Who‘s

Autistic Man Called “Stupid” By Gym Staff Teaches Himself Law, Sues The Company And Wins

Sun, 9 Apr 2017 13:56:23 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

"When Ketan Aggarwal, a 30-year-old Londoner with autism, was ridiculed
by a spin class instructor at his local Virgin Active gym, he decided to
take retribution into his own hands. After spending 2 years teaching

Next big thing: Selling solar power to the neighbours

Wed, 12 Apr 2017 21:36:24 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

"Powershop estimated its solar customers across Melbourne generated
about 100,000kWh of surplus solar power in six weeks, so it offered it
to other customers – largely people without solar power and relying on

How We REALLY Deal with Climate Crisis

Wed, 12 Apr 2017 21:37:25 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

"There are now several billion people who struggle to feed themselves,
find shelter, and survive on a daily basis. This is the perfect breeding
ground for rising fundamentalism, rejection of scientific modernity,

Which People Have Spoken?

Wed, 12 Apr 2017 21:38:44 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

"Where do you even start writing about Brexit? I've wanted to put
something down since that stupid day last June - but every time I start
it goes off the rails by the end of the first paragraph and I just start

What if you got $1,000 a month, just for being alive? I decided to find out.

Wed, 12 Apr 2017 21:39:41 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

"My father has a basic income. As a retired United States Air Force
officer, he has received a paycheck from the US government every month
for about 30 years now, since he was 42 years old. His government

Thu, 13 Apr 2017 20:21:19 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

"The Australian energy market is set for a major shake-up with the
launch of a major new government-backed initiative to create an open
marketplace for locally generated and stored rooftop solar power to be

How To Brush Your Cat's Teeth

Fri, 14 Apr 2017 16:02:00 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

"When was the last time you brushed your cat's teeth? … The thought of
brushing your cat's teeth probably hasn't even crossed your mind, but
just like us humans, cats also require dental care to stay healthy. If

Are You Tired?

Fri, 14 Apr 2017 16:03:10 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

"The wealthy know their position in society is precarious. They know
they live in a dog eat dog world of their own making, and sometimes even
boast about being the top dog — but that still means they are living a

For Good Men To See Nothing

Fri, 14 Apr 2017 16:04:00 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

"If you’re reading this article, you game because you like to be “the
one who confronts the monsters.” Here’s a chance to do it in real life,
and the things I’ve written above are your weapons and special gear to

The Minimally-nice Open Source Software Maintainer

Sat, 15 Apr 2017 14:40:40 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

"I love creating cool things, and releasing cool things, and receiving
praise for cool things. To create ever cooler things though one needs to
multiply their manpower, get help from others - to collaborate."

Truth and Storytelling Consequences

Sat, 15 Apr 2017 14:43:11 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

"Much of storytelling is a thought experiment. We develop a collection
of characters, put them into particular circumstances and, if we are
honest in our storytelling, we allow events to roll out to the most

Autism: The children who find haircuts painful

Sun, 16 Apr 2017 17:24:21 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

"Sitting in a hairdresser's chair may sound simple, but for a child with
autism having a haircut can be painful. One barber has developed a
unique technique where he will cut a child's hair during long periods

How disgust stops us from living sustainably — and how to stop it

Mon, 17 Apr 2017 12:59:13 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

"Imagine, for a second, that the slice of delectable cake melting in
your mouth was made with flour ground from insects not grains. Or that
your most alluring perfume — a special gift, perhaps — contained

Sherlock Holmes Is Now A Housewife In Latest Korean Export, Mystery Queen

Mon, 17 Apr 2017 13:01:49 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

"Mystery Queen, one of the newest shows to come out of South Korea,
might be one of the cutest and coolest renditions of Sherlock Homes I've
seen in a while... and it stars a housewife with a crazy mother-in-law."

Wildlife Photographer of the Year: unforgettable animal behaviour

Tue, 18 Apr 2017 20:09:45 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

"From basking gharial to stampeding muskoxen, these images from the
Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition have been selected for a
Natural History Museum book, Unforgettable Behaviour, and offer a unique

Unfettered online hate speech fuels Islamophobia in China

Wed, 19 Apr 2017 20:56:19 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

"The flood of angry anti-Muslim rhetoric on social media was the first
sign of how fiercely the suburban middle-class homeowners in this
central China city opposed a planned mosque in their neighborhood. It

Put Them Back In Their Place

Wed, 19 Apr 2017 20:57:26 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

"It is some years ago. I am in the metro and it is semi-late evening. I
start to hear the beat to a famous, easy to recognize song. A beautiful
gothic girl is doing the stomp-stomp-clap, and then a few persons around

We Have Always Been Here, Motherfucker

Thu, 20 Apr 2017 23:01:15 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

"The year is 1978. I receive a gift from my aunt and uncle. It’s an
electric keyboard. I hear “Nickelodeon” sung by Julie Andrews on The
Muppet Show. I play it by ear, and start piano lessons. I win a lot of

Thousands of Girls Are Locked Up for Talking Back or Staying Out Late

Thu, 20 Apr 2017 23:07:40 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

'By the time she was 16, Kara had been detained three times—one of the
nearly 50,000 adolescent girls who enter the courts every year because
of a system of criminalizing low-level offenses that has long been

Thu, 20 Apr 2017 23:08:56 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

"One of the most common pitfalls of solar energy is storing it. On sunny
days there is typically an excess of energy, which is lost if not
captured. But, fortunately many battery storage options are now

Telling Right from Wrong

Fri, 21 Apr 2017 15:40:28 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

"Two of my recent essays — “Tolerance is Not a Moral Precept” and “A
Chosen People” — have talked about questions of right and wrong. Several
people have asked, in essence, what I mean by those two and how I

Woman Unaware That ‘Furry Convention’ Is Not For Pets, Takes Her Therapy Dog There And Becomes Famous

Fri, 21 Apr 2017 15:41:28 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

"New York Media senior producer Kenny Wassus got a kick when he realized
his mother went to the Motor City Furry Convention, thinking it was an
event for pets, and brought her therapy dog Link with her. The pup being

Steve Jobs’ custom Apple I and other historic machines are on display at Seattle museum

Sun, 23 Apr 2017 16:24:48 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

"Long before the iPhone or even the Mac, Apple was a handful of people
working in an industry that was only just beginning to take the idea of
personal computing seriously. In the earliest days of those early days,

DirtPainting, Incredibly Detailed Drawings Created on the Empty Canvases of Dust Laden Vehicles

Mon, 24 Apr 2017 23:58:38 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

"Russian artist Nikita Bolubev aka ProBoyNick has created an incredible
series of street art that he calls “Dirt Painting”. With this technique,
Bolubev cleverly uses the dust from neglected vehicles as the canvases

Cazzi Opeia & Jin X Jin – Batman & Robin

Tue, 25 Apr 2017 13:57:06 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

"Currently, if I hear someone saying “I had a dream”, my brain goes
straight for Kygo & Selena Gomez, which is still a proper tune and a
half. That may change, though, as I present the most surreal song/video

We Can Be Light

Tue, 25 Apr 2017 13:59:29 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

"When we live within a healthy society we will always be mindful of each
others individuality, while also supporting the continuity of human and
living being. In our case this is something of a balancing act. Our

The Humble Book Bundle: Save the Unicorns presented by Peter S. Beagle

Wed, 26 Apr 2017 19:32:03 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

"The loveliest of all was the unicorn. While the legendary unicorn may
or may not exist, the fate of many of nature’s most beautiful creatures
remains uncertain. Fortunately, there is still time to both celebrate

93-Year Old Man Wins a Storytelling Contest With a Hilarious Story About His Valentines in 1933

Wed, 26 Apr 2017 19:36:10 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

"redditor Kathy Sitter very proudly posted a video of her 93-year old
grandfather Tom Sitter telling an absolutely hilarious story to a very
responsive audience during The Moth in Madison StorySLAM at the High

The Gimmick Economy: how central banks pretend software isn't eating the world

Thu, 27 Apr 2017 19:19:10 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

"Capitalism and Communism which briefly resembled victor and vanquished,
increasingly look more like Thelma and Louise; a tragic couple sent over
the edge by forces beyond their control. What comes next is anyone’s

New Hampshire Farm Offers Yoga Classes With Baby Goats Who Are Happy to Help Stabilize Cores

Fri, 28 Apr 2017 12:50:28 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

"The Jenness Farm in Nottingham, New Hampshire has become well known for
their goat milk soaps that are made “with the milk from our pampered
herd of dairy goats”, their award winning lip balm and as of April 2017,

The Seafloor Is Eroding Faster Than Scientists Thought

Fri, 28 Apr 2017 12:51:29 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

"A trip to a coral reef off the coast of the Florida Keys, an outdated
nautical chart and an argument with a boat captain led biogeochemist
Kimberly Yates to make a starting discovery: The seafloor around parts

Tire ski jump

Fri, 28 Apr 2017 12:54:59 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

"This is a video of people rolling a bunch of tires off a ski jump, to
see how far they'll fly. It's done with the combination of complete
seriousness and excited insanity that defines Japanese television. And

Researchers invent process to make sustainable rubber, plastics

Sat, 29 Apr 2017 20:33:07 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

"The scientific team—from the University of Delaware, the University of
Minnesota and the University of Massachusetts - has invented a process
to make butadiene from renewable sources like trees, grasses and corn."

Play Rabbits

Sat, 29 Apr 2017 20:35:22 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

"The play rabbits had names. The play rabbits could be brought into the
house and allowed to run around. My cousins could tell me about their
personalities and the funny things they did. None of this was true for

The Winners Of 2017’s A’ Design Award & Competition Have Just Been Announced, And They’re Genius

Sat, 29 Apr 2017 20:37:03 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

"The A’ Design Award & Competition is a magnet for creativity, and every
year the contest attracts thinkers and inventors from all over the
globe. The winners of the 2016-2017 period have just been announced, and

Cultural Evolution in the Anthropocene

Sun, 30 Apr 2017 12:27:25 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

"Where humanity is going, there are no roadmaps. The terrain is unlike
anything we’ve seen before. The changes sweeping the Earth right now are
literally planetary in scale and so filled with complexity that few

For World 'Intellectual Property' Day, A Reading From Thomas Macaulay

Sun, 30 Apr 2017 12:31:15 +1000

Andrew Pam <xanni [at] glasswings.com.au>

"We've pointed to it and quoted from it at length many times over the
years, but even now, 176 years later, it still remains one of the best
statements on how over-monopolizing ideas creates real harms."